A WEEK away from the desk meant there were few notable performances around the country over the last 14 days. Harzand’s dual Derby? Yes, of course, that was worth all the applause.

Each season we all wish for the star horse.

But we’ll begin back at Sligo last Monday week and the Noel Kelly-trained Mighty Whitey’s win at 20/1, his fourth at the track. Now at 10-years old he won on his first ever run in May 2010 at Sligo and can still pop up at his favourite track when conditions suit.

His lifetime earnings come to over €50,000, you won’t have got rich through ownership. But flat or jumps, he’ll give it a go.

He’s travelled the scenic routes to diverse tracks, from Sligo to Perth, Hexham to Tramore, and the less scenic route to Wolverhampton in December, Southwell in February, even chased home a Dermot Weld winner at Galway.

He’s been an advertisement for all equipment in his time, eyeshields, hoods, tongues ties, but on his day, he’d dependable.

SIMILAR BREED

Of a similar breed is Harry Rogers’ Calm Bay. He’s more of a home bird, you spot him at Dundalk, Down Royal, Navan, Bellewstown. He made his debut as a two-year-old at Galway in 2008 and 100 runs later he’s still going strong with winnings of €100,000.

There are horses like these in every smaller stable, 13-year-old Your Busy for James Nash has taken his fans to Cheltenham and Aintree as well as home festivals in Galway and Listowel. You’ll also have run in to him at Roscommon and Kilbeggan on his way to winning €276,000.

Horses like these make the summer racing scene, like swallows returning annually. Now and again they’ll get their turn.

Most of us can’t aspire to own a Douvan or a Don Cossack, but we could find a Mighty Whitey and where might he take us?

In any of the bigger stable these horses would have been passed on once they lost a bit of speed. But they are an advertisement for their trainers in keeping them going, and for the adventures that owning a racehorse can bring. Every stable should have one.